Simplicity is a demanding exercise in style, as the Patrimony Contemporaine Self-Winding watch shows perfectly. In the spirit of the historic ultra-thin models that have made Vacheron Constantin’s reputation, this 18K yellow gold case is only 8.31 mm thick. Its 40 mm diameter, large for a classic watch, features a large opening on a clean, uncluttered dial. Curved and enhanced by a minute-track beaded with gold cabochons, slender trapezoid hour-markers and baton hands, this silvered opaline dial displays the aesthetic values that identify the Patrimony Contemporaine line.The refined dial and case are balanced by an interior elegance. This Patrimony Contemporaine Self-Winding houses the 2450 calibre which bears the prestigious Geneva Hallmark and beats at 28,800 vibrations/hour. Besides displaying the hours and minutes, it has a centre seconds and a date window at 6 o’clock. With a power reserve of approximately 43 hours, this calibre features ceramic ball bearings in the rotor system, dispensing with the need for lubrication and guaranteeing the system a longer life. It is also equipped with a stop seconds device for stopping the watch and setting it to the nearest second. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the Patrimony Contemporaine Self-Winding is destined for a very long life.